Recession blues? Nah!

With all the talk about recession, things are bound to get gloomy, right? Wrong! In a recent survey conducted across 17 nations, India topped the list as the most optimistic country despite the present economic crisis, beating wealthier nations like Japan, UK and France. We asked city youngsters what keeps them so upbeat despite the economic meltdown.

No way but outFor some, the recession is “just a phase” and there are several things indicating a brighter tomorrow. Ankita Khare, a student of Jamia Milia Islamia, points out that as the crisis started in the US, with a new man at the helm, things can only get better.

“The US has a new President. Obama is bright and promising,” says Ankita. “Besides, India hasn’t been affected by the recession as badly as the other countries. Our banks haven’t collapsed and the stock market is stabilising. We have enough reasons to be optimistic.”

The answer lies in the past, feels Neha Vermani, a student of Hindu College. “I am optimistic simply because this is a cyclical event. The recession can’t last forever. In 1929, it didn’t. If they could come out of it then, we can do it now with all the financial instruments in place.”

The recession has proved to be a window of opportunity for Mukesh Adhikary, a DU student who plans to take his hobby of filmmaking forward. “This is something that would’ve been difficult under normal circumstances,” says Mukesh, “but with most companies going slow on hiring, it’s the perfect time to follow my passion.”

Time on their sideStudents are not worrying too much since they have time on their side — many believe the situation will improve by the time they finish college and begin job hunting. For instance, Shreya Luthra, an MBA student, is not disheartened by the fact that her seniors haven’t got the placements they hoped for.

“Things are gloomy now, but expert’s predict that they will improve by the middle of this year, and placements start only at the end of the year,” she says. And finally, since they are already living on a shoestring budget, youngsters say they don’t find anything particularly gloomy about the present situation.